Are you looking for unusual destinations, some snowy adventures, and bucket list experiences to check off your list? Today, we are visiting Finland and Sweden to highlight some unique ideas for great winter vacations! From visiting Santa to staying in an ice hotel or glass igloo, we have great ideas for some of the best trips in the world to take during winter!
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Santa Claus Express
While flights would be a faster route, we think hopping on a real-life Polar Express would be more fun for this particular adventure! So, we will start this trip from Helsinki, Finland, and climb aboard the Santa Claus Express heading to Rovaniemi, Finland.
This trip on the Santa Claus Express is a 12-hour overnight ride. The double-decker train features Wi-Fi, two coach cars, seven sleeping cars, and a restaurant car serving hot and cold food and beverages.
Upon arrival, it’s time to take a 30-minute bus ride to Santa Claus Village.
Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi
Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Finland. If you have kids, you’re definitely going to want to bring them to meet Santa on his home turf at the “Christmas House.” He’s available any day of the year here!
In addition to meeting Santa, you can visit Santa Claus’s main post office, which receives approximately 500,000 letters a year from all over the world.
This is a legitimate post office, where you can mail out postcards to your loved ones and have them sent right away or have them delayed until Christmas. You can also order a letter from Santa Claus. You might even find some post office elves working here!
There are a variety of accommodations to choose from when staying here, like cottages, villas, glass igloos, and a snow hotel. You can also enjoy a meal in the Three Elves Restaurant, where you can dine inside an igloo.
Snowman World
Snowman World operates as a separate attraction inside Santa Claus Village. You will have to pay a separate admission to get in, but your tickets are good for the entire day. At this writing, an entrance ticket is 29 euros.
Activities at Snowman World include sliding down ice hills and snow slides, ice skating, and dancing in an ice disco with great lighting and a DJ playing music! Grab an ice drink and bust a move!
Santa’s Reindeer Farm
For another fun activity nearby, you can visit Porovaara Hill Reindeer Farm, located just a 25-minute drive away in Piiru Forest Resort. Here, you can feed the reindeer and see the Northern Lights on a Reindeer Safari.
We think that Santa Claus Village is a fun activity for kids and adults alike, and we would consider it to be one of the absolute best trips in the world for families!
It’s time to leave the magic of Santa Claus Village behind because an absolutely stunning winter wonderland awaits!
Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort
2 hours and 45 minutes from Santa Claus Village is the Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort, located in Saariselka, Finland. There are many accommodations to choose from here, including log chalets and snow igloos. We highly recommend the glass igloos, which let you admire Mother Nature’s dazzling display of the Northern Lights!
I mean, truly – imagine yourself snuggled up next to your significant other under warm blankets, sipping hot chocolate or a hot toddy while you watch this magnificent show in the sky!
You can book one of these igloos during the Northern Lights season, which is usually from the end of August to the end of April.
If you are looking for even more really unique trip ideas while staying at Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort (as if staying in an igloo isn’t enough), here are some other ideas…
Activities
Ice Floating:
What the heck is Ice Floating? This is a tad bit wacky, we know. But we kinda specialize in finding the wacky and odd! You know those dry bags that you use when you go kayaking to keep your phones dry? Well, you are basically enveloped in a giant dry bag that looks a little like a space suit meets a lobster with boots attached.
A pretty big hole is cut out of the ice, and you can weightlessly float and relax while chunks of ice float by your head. It is completely safe. You are warm, dry, and will not sink! Kinda crazy but really cool!
Polar Plunge:
Come on, you’ve seen others do this! Aren’t you just a little curious even if you DO think that it’s NUTS? Maybe just once?
Reindeer Safari:
How about a two-hour reindeer safari hosted by local reindeer herders? A thermal outfit, hot juice, and a Finnish treat are included.
Winter Ice Karting:
Think competitive go-karts with studded tires on a thick sheet of ice where you jockey for position like a real-life Mario Kart race. Winter Ice Karting is an adrenaline-packed adventure! If you have the need, the need for speed, this is for you!
Try Reindeer Stew with Mashed Potatoes:
I will be honest. I’m a little queasy over this one, but this is part of the local cuisine in Finland. I won’t tell Santa if you won’t!
From Finland to Sweden!
After experiencing the magic of Lapland, Finland, it’s time to level up our “cool” adventures with one of the best trips in the world to take in winter – a journey to Sweden! Here, you will find beautiful snow-covered forests and lakes and witness stunning Northern Lights while going dog sledding or snowmobiling. This is winter at its finest!
Now THAT’S an Entrance!
So here’s a travel story that you will have for life! Imagine landing in Kiruna airport, and instead of being whisked away by bus or taxi to your hotel, you find a team of animated huskies ready to take you to a legendary ice hotel by dog sled!
To participate in this, you must book your sled in advance. Each dog sled can fit up to four people. Your luggage is transported separately in a slightly less exciting way so that it doesn’t bounce off the back of the sled. We don’t know how Santa does it!
It is also mandatory that you wear WARM clothing! The guides can and WILL deny anyone dressed inappropriately for the arctic weather.
This is a 75-minute adventure that will make you feel like an arctic explorer, not to mention that it is a THRILLING ARRIVAL to the world-famous Icehotel!
Experiencing the Icehotel!
While ice hotels are now all over the world, the original Icehotel in Jukkasjarvi, Sweden, is the most famous one and has been an ever-changing art exhibit and hotel rolled into one for the last 34 years!
Each year, the ice there is harvested from the Torne River, one of the cleanest rivers in Europe, which produces crystal-clear ice, perfect for sculpting. Each Art Suite is then uniquely designed with a distinct theme by artists from all over the world! Once spring arrives, all of this ice then melts back into the river, and they start all over again the following year.
Everything inside the Icehotel, except the mattresses, is made out of – yep, you guessed it – ice. And we mean everything, including the beds and other “furniture,” like bedside tables. Even the walls and the glasses that you drink out of are all made of ice.
If all of this ice talk has you literally shaking in your boots, don’t worry, because you can warm up in the on-site heated restaurant. At least the food isn’t frozen!
FAQ:
Are you crazy? Won’t I freeze to death?
If you are daring enough to take on this mission of staying in one of the ice rooms, you will have a debriefing on what to expect and will be given a thermal, expedition-style sleeping bag that is made for temps as low as -25 degrees.
Can I see the rooms without staying in them?
The entire Icehotel (except for the Deluxe Suites) is open to the public daily. Upon arrival, you are free to check out the rooms here and see the different creations and themes that the artists have made.
You have the option to take a guided tour through the Icehotel, or you can buy an entry ticket and explore the hotel without a guide at your own pace.
You can also visit the Icebar by Icehotel, where you can order a drink that will be served in glasses made of ice. This will give you enough of the experience without actually staying in an ice room overnight.
You can also choose the option to stay in a regular hotel room on the premises that features HEAT!
Icehotel Activities
In addition to the accommodations here, you can partake in dog sledding, ice fishing, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, and a chance to carve a masterpiece of your own in an ice sculpting class!
So how about it? Are you brave enough to sleep in an ice hotel? We think that Finland and Sweden have a lot to offer for some truly unique winter vacations and some of the best trips in the world. From accommodations to exciting winter activities, you will have memories to last a lifetime. So grab your parka, embrace the cold and the unusual, AND Travel The Unexpected!
If you enjoyed this post, check out our post on Things to Do In Antarctica: Top Adventures and What To Expect!
